wjm@whuxl.UUCP (MITCHELL) (10/26/84)
Class 1, 2, and 3 wiring are defined in the 1984 National Electrical Code (Article 725) for use in certain power-limited applications. The key factor in determining which class is applicable is POWER, although there are voltage and current limits as well. The reason Carver specifically mentioned Class 1 wiring is because his amp (and most other high power amps) exceeds the power and perhaps the voltage limit for Class 2 and 3 wiring, which would include most speaker wire. I refer the reader to the Code for the complete table showing the limits of each class and the acceptable types of wiring, however I'll note that Class 1 wiring must be insulated for 600v and wire smaller than 18 AWG cannot be used. It also must be placed in enclosures similar to power wiring (but not the same enclosure!) and cannot be placed in the same enclosure as Class 2, 3, or communications wiring. BTW, communications circuits are covered in a separate section of the code but they can be run together with Class 2 and 3 circuits. Bill Mitchell, P.E. (whuxl!wjm)